Does it cost too much to fly the nest?

Cost puts many young people off leaving home. Photograph: Mark M Lawrence/Corbis

There's no shortage of news items telling us how expensive it is to bring up a child – just yesterday a survey suggested newborns cost £18,000 in their first year alone. The flipside to that, of course, is how expensive it is for children to wean themselves off their parents' wallets. According to research carried out by the Financial Services Authority's What about money? website, the cost for young Brits to achieve financial independence is £13,912 a year – more than twice what these young adults (aged 16 to 24) currently budget for.

Just over 40% of those questioned by the FSA believe they won't achieve financial freedom from their parents before their 30s. While it is possible this number may be skewed by the current state of the jobs market, it is still a considerable chunk of the population.

Although the average age that youngsters would like to achieve financial independence is 22, many concede that in reality it is likely to be 24. But for some it doesn't stop there: more people are living at home for longer, often well into their 30s and notably more men than women.

As well as the "stay at home kid" – the young person who has such a good deal at home, with free rent, laundry and meals that they never want to leave – we are increasingly seeing the "boomerang kid" who leaves home but keeps coming back when they're broke, hungry and in need of a bed.

The charity Parentlineplus says it has received a large number of calls about boomerang kids, who almost always live radically different lifestyles to other people in the house. This often places strain on family relations; nearly three-quarters of parents who called the charity were uncomfortable with their children's use of drugs and alcohol, and many were struggling to persuade their children to look for work.

Many parents of 16- to 34-year-olds continue to support their children, allowing them to live rent free or giving them financial support. So why have they changed the rules – are they feeling increased responsibility as parents, or are they worried that without their help their children will be unable to cope? If you're a parent supporting an older child – or between 16 and 34 and still reliant on your parents – are you happy with this arrangement?